Love ‘dinged’ as Packers drop preseason opener
TEXANS 26, PACKERS 7
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s pro debut ended earlier than expected.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Love “kind of got dinged” while getting sacked by Jonathan Greenard late in the first half of the Packers’ 26-7 preseason loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night. Greenard came from Love’s blind side and stripped the ball from him to force a fumble.
“I got my arm hit on that play and I just dinged my shoulder a little bit,” Love said.
LaFleur said he had hoped Love would play three quarters. The 2020 first-round pick from Utah State instead sat out the entire second half.
Love expressed confidence he’d be ready for the Packers’ next preseason game.
“It just kind of feels a little ‘strainish,’ ” Love said. “We’ll see.”
Love went 12 of 17 for 122 yards with a touchdown pass in his first game appearance since getting taken 26th overall in the 2020 draft.
He went 6 of 6 for 89 yards on a first-quarter drive that ended with Kylin Hill turning a short completion into a 22yard touchdown. Green Bay’s offense wasn’t as effective the rest of the night as the Packers rested virtually all their regulars.
“We’ve got to get them off the field in third-and-longs, and we didn’t do a good job in doing that,” Texans Coach David Culley said. “Other than that, I thought they played really good team defense.”
Although the circumstances surrounding Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Houston’s Deshaun Watson have been two of the NFL’s biggest offseason stories, neither played Saturday as the spotlight shifted to the other quarterbacks on each team.
Tyrod Taylor, the Texans’ likely starter if Watson isn’t available, went 4 of 4 for 40 yards in his lone series. Taylor led a 53-yard drive that resulted in one of Ka’imi Fairbairn’s four field goals.
RAIDERS 20, SEAHAWKS 7
LAS VEGAS — Third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman completed 29 of 38 pass attempts for 246 yards and Las Vegas beat Seattle.
With starter Derek Carr predictably skipping the opener, and backup Marcus Mariota nursing a leg injury, Peterman looked solid while playing nearly the entire game. Case Cookus replaced him after the two-minute warning to hand the ball off to fullback Garrett Groshek in his only play.
CHIEFS 19, 49ERS 16
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Trey Lance threw an 80-yard touchdown pass that led to loud cheers from San Francisco fans, and also showed some rookie traits in his preseason debut in the 49ers’ loss.
The Niners traded three first-round picks to draft Lance third overall in April to be their quarterback of the future. But they also still have incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo, so how soon that future comes remains to be seen.
BENGALS 19, BUCCANEERS 14
TAMPA, Fla. — Chris Evans finished a long drive with a 1-yard touchdown run and kickers Evan McPherson and Austin Seibert combined for four second-half field goals for Cincinnati, which played without quarterback Joe Burrow. They also didn’t see much of Tom Brady or the rest of Tampa Bay’s regulars, either.
With Brady and his talented supporting cast sitting after playing just six snaps during the lone series the 44-year-old quarterback worked, veterans Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin and second-round draft pick Kyle Trask ran the offense the remainder of the night.
RAVENS 17, SAINTS 14
BALTIMORE — Tyler Huntley ran for a 7-yard touchdown with 6:35 remaining, and Baltimore extended its preseason winning streak to 18 games with a win over New Orleans.
The Ravens haven’t lost in the preseason since 2015. They struggled to move the ball Saturday with quarterback Lamar Jackson held out, but New Orleans couldn’t overcome its six turnovers. Huntley, who took over for Trace McSorley at quarterback in the second half, capped a 12-play, 79-yard drive with the Ravens’ only touchdown of the game.
BROWNS 23, JAGUARS 13
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence’s professional debut opened with a sack and a fumble for Jacksonville. The No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft rebounded, delivering a couple of impressive throws in his first preseason game.
Lawrence completed 6 of 9 passes for 71 yards in two series.
JETS 12, GIANTS 7
Three points, two drives and one solid debut for Zach Wilson.
The No. 2 overall draft pick was efficient in his first NFL preseason game, going 6 of 9 for 63 yards and leading the New York Jets to a field goal against the Giants’ backups on defense.
BRONCOS 33, VIKINGS 6
MINNEAPOLIS — Drew Lock passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in three possessions in a crisp first audition for Denver’s open quarterback competition. Teddy Bridgewater was sharp, too, and the Broncos beat Minnesota.
Broncos first-round draft pick Pat Surtain II scored on a 30-yard interception return after a misdirected throw by Vikings backup Jake Browning, who was then pulled for rookie Kellen Mond.
FRIDAY’S LATE GAME
CARDINALS 19, COWBOYS 16
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Matt Prater kicked two field goals in the final two minutes, including a 47-yard game winner with no time remaining, to lift Arizona over Dallas.
Prater kicked a 48-yard field with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter to push the Cardinals into a 16-16 tie. The Cowboys’ ensuing drive quickly fizzled, giving the Cardinals enough time to drive downfield and set up Prater’s game-winning kick.
Ben DiNucci threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Smith midway through the fourth quarter to give the Cowboys a 16-13 lead.